Koori no Kaji or The Ice's Fire
by Rurouni Tsuki
Summary: (Author formerly known as Moon Wolf4) For once, it is Aoshi who is in trouble, and Misao must make the desicion to save him against Okina's wishes. But what difference can a sixteen year old Okashira make?
1. Hosoku

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Trust me on this one.

Warnings: None really. Except, this will take place after Shishio's fortress but note that while I DO know the outcome of the Kyoto arc, I DON'T know how Okina reacts to Aoshi coming back to the Aoiya. Cartoon Network hasn't gotten that far yet. So, for now that is entirely made up. Spoilers for Kyoto arc. Oh yeah, pairing: Aoshi/Misao

Author's Note: Meh. This idea came to me at three in the morning. It's now three thirty in the morning, and this idea won't let me get my must needed sleep, so here it goes. There are never enough A/M stories anyway. But, consider this fair warning; I may start to babble incoherently. Bear with me please.

And so...

Koori no Kaji

Chapter 1: Hosoku (The Capture)

He stood on the porch of the temple, his hands on the railing, eyes seemingly unfocused as he stared into space. It was winter and the icy winds bit through his clothing, though the expression on his face never changed. If anything, he was glad to have the pain. It proved he was still human. Mostly human anyway. It didn't matter though. He was waiting. He watched the road intently as if any second missed could be the vital one. Aoshi Shinomori was waiting for the girl that brought him his tea, and nothing else mattered at the moment. 

He found it... odd that someone as non-human as him could be worried over a boyish sixteen year old girl who could take care of herself. Maybe he wasn't worried over the sixteen year old Misao. For him, time stopped. Not at the Kanryuu estate, but before then; when he left the Aoiya. When he had seen Misao for the first time in ten years, he had fully been expecting to see the hyper active six year old Misao he had left, not the graceful, if hot tempered sixteen year old girl, no woman, that had stood before him. It had come as a shock, yes, but he was adjusting. He even found himself developing certain...feelings toward her. Feelings he did not want. While her body had grown, she was still the same innocent Misao, and he would not risk destroying that. He tried desperately to dismiss them, but they would not leave. He promised himself he would not concern himself he would not be concerned with her well being.

All the same... Aoshi Shinomori found himself out side on that cold winter's day waiting for Misao Makimachi.

He was so lost in his inner debate, that he did not sense the ki of someone sneaking up behind him.

~*~*~

Misao cursed herself under breath. She had just dropped the tea cup as she sneezed. Sighing, she gathered the porcelain shards, through them away and grabbed a new cup. She set it carefully on the tray and prepared to leave. She was late as it was, and she did not want to be any later.

She was, of course, bringing tea to Aoshi. She picked up the tray and carefully exited the Aoiya. She smiled, listening as her feet crunched in the freshly fallen snow. She like the snow, even if it did make wearing her onmitsu outfit impractical. The snow reminded her a lot of Aoshi. It was cold, but beautiful in its own way. Her smile faded. Yes, Aoshi was beautiful. She found that the hero worship she had held for him over the years had left, replaced by something she could quite describe. She had fallen in love with him, and she knew it.

The walk to the temple was not long, but it seemed to take forever. She hummed softly as she walked, and then began to sing.

iOmoi de wa itsumo kirei dakedo

Sore dake ja onaka ga suku wa

Honto wa setsunai yoru nanoni

Doshite kashira?

Ano hito no egao mo omoi dasenai/i

She paused as she reached the temple. Something was very very wrong. Carefully, she made her way up the temple stairs. What she saw made her drop the tray with a clatter. The porcelain shattered and flew everywhere. The temple was a wreck. Paper littered the floor, and there were obvious signs of a struggle. In the middle of the floor was a small pool of blood, and next to it was a letter. She knelt, picked it up, and began to read.

iOkashira-

We have kidnapped this member of your clan. If you ever wish to see him again, meet me here at nightfall tomorrow night. I wish to challenge you for your title as Okashira. If you win, you get the information needed to find him.

-Haku/i

And with that, she ran full speed back to the Aoiya.

~*~*~

"For the last time, I said no!"

"But Okina! He's a member of the Oniwaban too! We can't just-"

"We can and we will! He ceased to be a member of the Oniwaban the day he tried to kill me."

Misao shot Okina a glare that would have sent Shishio running for cover.

"Well, I am the Okashira, and therefore I will answer this challenge with or without your support. Lord Aoshi is a member of the Oniwaban still and I can't abandon him."

"Then you will go after him alone."

A/N: The lyrics are the Japanese romanji of "Sobakasu" or "Freckles." Roughly, they mean:

Memories are always beautiful

But with only them you cannot live

Tonight should be a sad night

But why?

Actually, I can't remember his smiling face.


	2. Itai

A/N: Second Chapter peoples! I may have to up my rating. This chapter is definitely PG-13 in terms of graphic violence. 

Koori no Kaji

Chapter 2: Itai (Pain)

The cell was colder than the snowy kingdom outside. Aoshi was freezing and he'd only been conscious for ten minutes. And he had a killer headache, which he knew was from being hit repeatedly over the head. He closed his eyes. Perhaps if he meditated he could block out the cold like he had every thing else. Well, ALMOST everything else. He never could block out Misao.

Misao.

What was she be doing now? More than likely she was frantic, tearing apart Kyoto to find him. He could almost see her holding one of the monks of the temple against the wall, yelling, "Where's Aoshi-sama?!?!"

No, she would never do that for two reasons. One being that, although she was rash and hot tempered at times, she would never resort to torture or intimidation, even on his behalf. The second reason being that all of the monks were dead. His captors had killed them all after one of their braver members had snuck up behind him and knocked him out.

He had awoken in the cold cell he sat in now. Sadly, he glanced out the small window and wished with all his might that he was outside. He'd been working recently to free himself from his self imposed prison,  only to be thrown into a real one, steel bars and all. The snow, which had looked so bitter before, now seemed inviting. He prayed that someone, ANYONE, would free him, but he highly doubted any one actually would. No one at the Aoiya, besides Misao, had ever really forgiven him for his betrayal. As he stared at the ceiling, he began to wonder if perhaps he deserved this.

~*~*~

Misao carefully tucked her kunais in her belt. With two bobby pins borrowed from Omasu, she pinned her long braid to the back of her head to keep it out of her way. She walked to her door and tried to open it, only to find that someone had locked her in. She glared at the door, willing who ever had locked it to burst into flames. She turned and carefully opened her window. She paused for only a moment, before turning back into her room and grabbing the two kodachis that Okina had given her a s a birthday presant. Then, as stealthily as she could, she leapt from the window and made her way down the quickly darkening streets of Kyoto.

~*~*~

The wooden door made a dull thunk as it rebounded off the stone wall. Aoshi looked up in time to see a dart flying his way. It hit him in the side of his chest and immediately he began to feel drowsy. Soon, he blacked out.

When he woke up, he was no longer laying down. He was hanging by his wrists. 'Great,' he thought vaguely. 'Now I can no longer feel my hands. Just wonderful. I drop my guard for one second and suddenly I find myself hanging from my hands in a dark cell.'

For the first time, he noticed someone else in the room. His eyes darted back and forth, but the room was too dark to tell who or where the person was. Out of no where, a sudden sharp pain seared through his side. He turned in time to see a whip retreat into the darkness. 

"Who's there?" he hissed.

"Your executioner."

~*~*~

The walk to the temple seemed much shorter than usual. The streets were silent. Misao was the only one out on the streets, and she remained hidden. She dodged through alleys and between the tightly packed houses. In no time at all, she was standing in front of the temple again. The scene of carnage had been cleaned up. In fact, the temple looked normal. Carefully, she ascended the steps and entered.

~*~*~

He didn't cry out. Instead he closed his eyes and tried to focus on something other than the pain. Misao face floated across his train of thought. He had to smile despite his predicament. 'I am sorry Misao... I've failed you again...' he thought.

The cell door suddenly creaked open and the whip stopped moving. The messenger took a deep breath and said, "Haku-sama. I appologize for interupting, but it's almost sun down."

"I'll be right there," Haku responded for turning back to Aoshi. "You'll have to excuse me. I have to go kill your Okashira."

Aoshi's eyes widened. 'Misao...'

A/N: I'm so horrible. Poor Aoshi. He's my favorite character too... Heh. Now you have a cliffy. Maybe you should REVIEW *hint hint wink wink nudge nudge*

Ja ne!


	3. Touhi

A/N: I am back. Arigatou gozimasu to all of my wonderful reviewers, despite the fact that there is very few of you. You guys all ROCK maaaan. Ignore me. I just had three cups of coffee. @_@ Oh, by the way, how the heck do you do stuff like make the text bold?!? It's driving me nuts. Help me out and I'll give you sweet snow. (Any YYH fan knows what I'm talking about. If you're not a fan [it's a great show. Check it out. Cartoon Network, weekdays at 6:30pm EST], then "sweet snow" is what Hiei calls Ice Cream.) Speaking of YYH, did you guys notice that they're starting the series over again? GAH! We may never get to see Yusuke kick Toguro's arse. ::sighs::  Wow, I'm way off subject now. Here's the chapter. 

Koori no Kaji

Chapter 3: Touhi (Escape)

The shoji slid open easily. The room was empty except for a man who appeared to be in his mid to late twenties. He was short, not much taller than Misao actually, and had messy brown hair that fell in his face and hid his eyes. He was holding a katana.

Misao glared at him, "You must be Haku."

"Hai. But you certainly cannot be the Okashira," His face contorted in confusion.

"I am."

"How old are you, girl?"

"I'm sixteen, kaeru-chinou.* Now where is Aoshi…san."  She decided to drop the honorific.

"Oh don't worry, weasel. He's alive. For now anyways. Beat me and I'll tell you where he is. If I win though, I won't only kill you, but Aoshi too, and THEN take over the Oniwaban!" He laughed maniacally.

"Oh trust me. You won't win. There is a reason I'm the Okashira after all."

"Then bring it, girl." 

~*~*~

As soon as the door closed, he began to work himself free of the ropes. His hands were numb from lack of blood, but he needed to get himself free or that sadistical bastard was going to kill Misao. After ten long minutes of struggling, Aoshi dropped to the floor like a rock, landing in his back. He gasped in pain and lay still for a moment before forcing himself upright. 

He quickly realized that his captors were a.) extremely stupid, and b.) not planning for his escape. The simple wooden door was locked, but there were no guards. The man, Haku, had not only left the whip in the room, but his kodachis and coat as well. To top it all off, he knew exactly where he was. It wasn't really a cell, just a small dungeon-type room in the basement of the house behind the temple where all of the monks lived. He picked up his coat and hung it by the ropes from the ceiling, so that if anyone should happen to peer inside, it would look as though he were still hanging. Carefully, he slung his kodachis over his back and examined the door. 

It was a straightforward wooden door with metal supports running across it horizontally dividing it into thirds. Towards the top was a window that was 12 inches square. The window had two bars in it that were about an inch thick.  The door was the only way out.

Aoshi frowned. This was quite a predicament, because he had to somehow open the door and escape without their noticing. Even with his weapons, he was at a severe disadvantage; he was outnumbered at least ten to one and he was already injured. He considered slashing at it with his kodachis, but that would both ruin the door and be loud. 'Perhaps,' he thought. 'I can use the whip to beak the hinges when I pull the door backwards....wait! The hinges!' Quickly he glanced up at the ceiling. Perfect. The ceiling was lined with little hooks like the one he'd been hanging on. And there was one right over the door.

Wasting no time, he tied the end of the whip to the bars in the window as tightly as he could. Then, he jumped up and looped the whip over the hook, creating a pulley. Jumping up again, he put all his weight on the whip, pulling it downwards. The door creaked quietly and then slid upward off its hinges (A/N: Picture the prison escape scene from Pirates of the Caribbean. Different method, same concept.).  The door fell backward and hung from the improvised rope. Aoshi lowered it gently to the ground and raced out of the cell. Then, using the whip, he pulled the door back into its original position, but did not put it back on its hinges. Then he slipped the whip back inside the cell and undid the knot holding it to the bars. He stepped back and surveyed the scene. It looked as though nothing was out of the ordinary.

Now he just had to get out of the house and to the temple.

~*~*~  

A/N: I would like to thank my friend (who knows who she is) for the insult "Kaeru-chinou." It means "frog brain." Thanks to my few reviewers. PLEASE REVIEW!!! It's a great moral booster. Also, I'm working on setting up a small Rurouni Kenshin fan site. Please check it out. It's small, but it's got some midis and images and wallpaper. And some of my fan fiction. I'm gonna post this story there when I finish, actually. But, if you check it out and submit something I'd be a.) forever grateful and b.) happy to post whatever is sent. Provided its not NC-17. The address is 

Ja ne!


	4. Shimekiri wo Sentou

A/N: I'm feeling hyper and creative so lets keep going! ::grins:: Also, the titles of the chapters have been in Japanese. Please note, that I am doing them with my limited knowledge of the language and a dictionary. So, if there are ANY mistakes with the Japanese, TELL ME! We all tend to learn by trial and error and I am no different. Sorry about torturing Aoshi. He's my favorite character too. And now...  
  
Koori no Kaji  
  
Chapter 4: Shimekiri wo Sentou (Fight to the finish)  
  
Misao was in trouble. Big trouble. She hadn't counted on how fast Haku was. He had her dodging and darting every which way to avoid his blows. She hadn't even had the chance to retaliate. He suddenly caught her by surprise and swung hard at her left side. She jumped to the right, but not before his blade connected with her flesh. She cried out and he grinned.  
  
"What a pitiful excuse for an Okashira. I shall enjoy killing you. But I'll make sure to have some fun first."  
  
He jumped into the air like he was going to use Himura's Ryo Shui Sen. (A/N: Is that right? The jumping one. You know.) Misao saw her chance and threw the kunai quickly, catching him off guard in the air. He tried to dodge, but the one of the small knives hit him in the stomach, tearing a small hole. He kept coming down, and Misao no longer had time to move.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Aoshi slipped down the corridor making use of all his skills as a spy to keep from being detected. He made his way up the stairs without much difficulty. There were two guards at the top of the stairs, both of whom were asleep. He managed to squeeze by them without their noticing. The entire house was empty it seemed. He couldn't sense anyone at least. He made his way through the vacant common room towards the door. He was almost there.  
  
He made his way across the temple grounds to the main building. He raced up the steps and threw open the shoji door, only to receive the shock of his life.  
  
The man who had nearly beaten him to death, Haku, was flying through the air towards Misao with his katana drawn. And, there was nothing he could do about it.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Misao heard the shoji slam open, but did not turn. She watched as the sword descended and at the last possible second she drew the two kodachis and formed a cross with them, effectively stopping the katana. She pulled the hilts of the kodachis together quickly, capturing the sword. Haku landed, surprised, and tried to wrench his sword free. He failed and with a quick twist of her wrists, Misao sent the katana flying into a wall. "Now get!" she hissed. Haku backed up, but did not leave.  
  
Aoshi watched from the doorway, impressed. It seemed he wasn't needed after all. Misao had improved a lot more than he had originally thought. Then, she turned to face him.  
  
"You're alive."  
  
"Hai. It seems I shouldn't have been in such a hurry to escape," Aoshi responded weakly. Now that he was certain Misao was alright, his injuries were beginning to take their toll.  
  
Misao could hear a faint "plink plink" noise that sounded like water dripping. Her sharp eyes scanned the room for the source of the noise. Her eyes finally came back to Aoshi and widened as she saw what was making the sound. Aoshi was bleeding. Badly. His blood was currently forming a small pool around his feet. She noticed how heavily he was leaning against the shoji frame and gasped, "Aoshi-sama! What happened?"  
  
When he did not respond, Misao whirled around to face the frightened Haku, who had just managed to free his katana from the wall. In her rage, Misao attacked Haku again, with much more vigor this time. Haku was now the one constantly on guard. He fell backward and Misao threw her last set of kunai at him, effectively pinning him to the wall.  
  
"That will hold him until the police get here," she turned back to Aoshi. "Let's go home." 


	5. Tadaima

A/N: Look, I enjoy writing this story, but I'm not getting any feedback, really. (Sorry all my wonderful reviewers!) I don't think I'll continue past this chapter unless I get SOME sort of response. I'm quite serious about that, too. Angst WAFF ahead. By the way, what does WAFF stand for? I know it means fluff but yeah. Here you go then:  
  
Koori no Kaji  
  
Chapter 5: Tadaima (I'm home.)  
  
"That will hold him until the police get here," she turned back to Aoshi. "Let's go home."  
  
Haku immediately began to protest, "LET ME DOWN FROM HERE YOU LITTLE B-"  
  
THWACK!  
  
Misao smiled, twirling one of her kodachis and observing the now unconscious Haku, who had a bump growing on his forehead. When she was sure he wasn't going to wake up any time soon, she turned back to Aoshi. And nearly fainted.  
  
He was slumped on the floor, breathing heavily. She quickly raced to his side and knelt, disregarding the blood on the floor. The extent of his injuries was extremely obvious just by looking at him. His back bled profusely from the wounds the whip had caused and a dark bruise had formed on the side of his face. She also noticed some dried blood in his hair, meaning he'd been hit hard over the head with something.  
  
Carefully, she helped him stagger to his feet. Aoshi tried valiantly to stay standing without her help and nearly fell over again. Misao caught him and said, "It looks like you're not going any where too quickly. Thankfully the Aoiya isn't very far from here. We should be there in no time at all."  
  
She kept on a brave face, but inside she was screaming. She'd never seen the man she admired so hurt and...tired. That's the word. He looked tired. As though the whole world had just collapsed on his shoulders. She was more than willing to help him with that weight, but she knew he'd never accept it. He was just too damn stubborn. Being mindful of his injuries, she slipped her arm around his waist. To her utter and complete surprise, he did not pull away. Instead, he put his arm across her shoulders and leaned on her for support.  
  
Aoshi could feel his defenses slowly crumble for the first time in years. He had known Misao was no longer a child, but the nights events had proved what his heart had already acknowledged for quite some time. But it still shocked him. He had fully expected Misao to rush over to him in tears after the fight, like she often had when she was younger and he was hurt. He had not intended Misao to be stoic, almost brave about the whole situation. It suddenly occurred to him that their usual roles had been switched. It was usually he who came to rescue Misao as the Okashira. How ironic.  
  
He felt her arm around his waist and was for some reason comforted. He put his arm around her shoulders and for once, allowed her to help him. He leaned heavily against her and she led him outside into the cold, snowy night.  
  
~*~*~  
  
They entered the back door of the Aoiya, so as not to disturb anyone. Misao assisted him to his futon and then rushed out, only to return moments later with a bowl of hot water, several rags, and a lot of bandages. Aoshi was sitting staring out the window. Misao sighed and put the supplies down. "Aoshi-sama?"  
  
"I thought I asked you not to call me that."  
  
"Sorry, Aoshi. Could you...uh...take off your shirt?"  
  
Aoshi stared at her, as she blushed a deep shade of crimson.  
  
"Well, I need to bandage you up, which I can't do if you're wearing your shirt."  
  
Aoshi was reluctant to take it off. He didn't want her to see the scars he'd accumulated over the years. So, he remained silent. This did not go over well with Misao's increasingly short temper. She knelt down in front of him and began to undo his shirt. Aoshi caught her wrists in his hands and she glared at him.  
  
"Look, either let me take this bloody shirt off of you, or I will knock you out!"  
  
For one wild moment, Aoshi considered shooting back with a bawdy comment that would have put Sanosuke Sagara to shame. He kept his self control, and decided that if she was going to remove his shirt and treat his injures anyway, he might as well be conscious for it. He dropped her hands.  
  
Misao reached forward again and warily stripped off the garment. Her eyes widened in shock. 'So many scars...' she thought. She glanced up at Aoshi's face, only to find that he'd turned away and was staring out the window again. Slipping around behind him, she began to work on cleaning out the wounds in his back. He did not flinch, though Misao knew it had to be painful.  
  
It didn't take long for her to clean all of the wounds on his back. She cautiously wrapped that cloth bandages around him, covering up the wounds. When she finished, she stood and walked over to his wardrobe. After shuffling around for a few minutes, she produced a thick winter yukata and tossed it to him. Aoshi caught it easily and put it on. Misao bowed and turned to leave, when his voice stopped her.  
  
"You're hurt too."  
  
"Huh?" She had barely noticed her stomach wound. "Oh, this is nothing. Don't worry about it."  
  
"Please come here," it was not a question. She walked back over to where he sat on his futon and knelt.  
  
Aoshi took the last clean rag, dipped it in the still warm water, and began to clean out the wound. She was right, it wasn't fatal. It wouldn't even need stitches, but it looked like hell.  
  
He put down the rag as he finished and said, "I am certain you can dress that on your own."  
  
She nodded and said quietly, "Hai, I can." On sudden impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.  
  
Aoshi was surprised to say the least when Misao kissed him. When she started to pull away, Aoshi tucked a hand behind her neck and prevented her escape. They had to pull away moments later, however, to get some air. He smiled at her, noticing the deep blush playing across her face, but she did not look up. Then she stood and murmured, "Gomen ne. Oyasumi nasai, Aoshi- sama." With that, she darted from the room.  
  
Aoshi gently touched his lips and stared after her in a daze. "Oyasumi nasai, Misao-koi."  
  
The shoji suddenly slid open again, breaking Aoshi from his reverie. It was Okina. And he did NOT look happy.  
  
A/N: There. My longest chapter ever. Want me to continue? THEN TELL ME SO! 


	6. Yousha

A/N: ::Jaw absolutely drops:: I didn't realize so many people really liked my story. I'm so sorry for even suggesting that I'd stop. ::cries:: I got seven reviews in the space of twenty minutes. It was actually quite creepy. Thank you everyone who reviewed. Also, Buffybot76, you're right. I'm just being stupid. Thank you very much for giving me a slap that put me back in my place. As a thank you and an I'm sorry, I'll make this chapter extra fluffy. Also, OOCness abounds!  
  
Koori no Kaji  
  
Chapter 6: Yousha (Forgiveness)  
  
Okina glared at Aoshi from the doorway. The old man was angrier than he'd ever been in his life. Aoshi had not only allowed himself to be kidnapped, but Misao had deliberately disobeyed him. He had seen her as she walked back to her room and knew she was injured.  
  
Aoshi broke the unbearable silence by asking, "May I help you?"  
  
"You let yourself be captured."  
  
"..."  
  
"You got yourself injured."  
  
"..."  
  
"You dragged Misao into this because of your idiocy."  
  
"..."  
  
"And now she's hurt!"  
  
"Goddamn it just stop! I already know!" Aoshi snapped, causing Okina to raise his eyebrow in surprise at the usually stoic man's loss of self control.  
  
"I don't even know WHAT happened to make me loose my concentration, but I'm human too! I make mistakes! Now, if you're happy, could you please leave? I would like to catch a few hours of sleep before I get screamed at by the rest of the Oniwaban for endangering Misao," Aoshi was seething. He'd never truly vented his anger and frustration before, and something about the nights events had caused him to snap. 'I must be going insane. I've never lost control like this before. First Misao and now with Okina...'  
  
Okina was speechless. He hadn't really thought of it that way. Aoshi had become Okashira at such a young age, and he'd always seemed immune to emotions. Okina bowed his head.  
  
Aoshi took a deep breath and whispered, "I'm sorry for all of the trouble I've caused, to both you and the rest of the Oniwaban, since I returned to Kyoto."  
  
Okina smiled gently. Yes, he was the same Aoshi Shinomori he'd remembered. "You're forgiven. In turn, I appologize for losing my temper."  
  
Aoshi nodded in reponse and Okina left. He sighed and stood up. He wasn't going to be getting any sleep, that was for sure.  
  
~*~*~  
  
'I can't believe I kissed him! And even better, he kissed me back! I thought he would slap me...'  
  
Misao was tossing and turning. She couldn't get that kiss off her mind. Finally giving up on sleep, she stood and slipped outside. It was snowing lightly. She smiled and tilted her head upward. Closing her eyes, she sang softly under her breath.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Some one was singing, and Aoshi knew who. He turned the corner and watched her as she danced in the snow and sang,  
  
"Alone for a while I've been searching through the dark For traces of the love you left Inside my lonely heart To weave, by picking up the pieces that remain Melodies of life: love's lost refrain  
  
She fell silent and Aoshi said the first thing that came to his mind. "Don't stop."  
  
She jumped, but continued.  
  
"Our paths they did cross Though I cannot say just why We met, we laughed, we held on fast And then we said goodbye And who'll hear the echos of stories never told? Let them ring out loud 'till they unfold.  
  
In my dearest memories I see you reaching out to me Though you're gone I still believe that you can call Out my name.."  
  
Aoshi smiled faintly and walked over to her. "You sing very well."  
  
Misao blushed, but brushed off the comment, saying, "You should be in bed."  
  
"So should you."  
  
"Umm... about earlier..."  
  
She never got a chance to finish. Aoshi kissed her lightly, cutting her off.  
  
"Hey, anata. I was talking."  
  
"Now you're not," he kissed her again, but this time he did not back away.  
  
Unbeknowst to the couple kissing in the snow, a certain lecherous old man was watching them. Okina grinned. 'I should have known. But, this cannot work out.'  
  
As they pulled back, Aoshi said, "Let's go to bed."  
  
"Fine, but you're not going to be alone."  
  
Aoshi blinked.  
  
"AHH! Not like that! I mean sleep. SLEEP."  
  
"Oh..." Was that... disappointment?  
  
Aoshi placed an arm about her waist and led her inside to her room. She slipped into bed, and he followed suit, spooning against her. Just before sleep claimed him, he murmured, "Aishiteru anata. I don't know what I'd do with out you..."  
  
A/N: ::cries:: I love this story! The song Misao sings is called "Melodies of Life" and it's the theme for Final Fantasy 9. The lyrics are as follows:  
  
Alone for a while I've been searching through the dark For traces of the love you left Inside my lonely heart To weave, by picking up the pieces that remain Melodies of life: love's lost refrain  
  
Our paths they did cross Though I cannot say just why We met, we laughed, we held on fast And then we said goodbye And who'll hear the echos of stories never told? Let them ring out loud 'Till they unfold.  
  
In my dearest memories I see you reaching out to me Though you're gone I still believe that you can call Out my name  
  
A voice from the past Joining yours and mine Adding up the layers of harmony And so it goes on and on Melodies of life To the sky beyond the flying birds Forever and beyond  
  
So far and away See the bird as it flies by Gliding through the shadows Of the clouds upon the sky I've laid my memories And dreams upon dove's wings Leave them now and See what tomorrow brings.  
  
In your dearest memories Do you remember loving me? Was it fate that brought us close And now leaves me behind  
  
A voice from the past Joining yours and mine Adding up the layers of harmony And so it goes on and on Melodies of life To the sky beyond the flying birds Forever and beyond  
  
If I should leave This lonely world behind Your voice will still remember our melody And I know we'll carry on Melodies of life Come circel round and Grow dear in our hearts As long as we remember.  
  
It's a beautiful song. Anyways. Thanks! I'm off to write a song fic! 


	7. Inai Kokoro

A/N: I'm back from my hiatus! L.A. was awesome! Too many palm trees though. Anyways, here is the chapter. It's mostly Aoshi being introspective as he wakes up and remembers what happened the night before (Can you blame the guy for being a bit fuzzy on the night's events? He lost a lot of blood and had spent a night in a cold, dark cell).  
  
Chapter 7: Inai Kokoro (Within the Heart)  
  
The second he woke, he could sense something was different. Last night was blurry, but he knew he had not been drunk. When he focused, he can up with vague memories of pain caused by a whip that shot out of the darkness and then retreated... a fight between Misao and a man he did not know... collapsing on the floor of the temple... being treated by Misao... Their kiss...  
  
Wait a second. Hold that train of thought. Their kiss?!?  
  
He tried to bring his hand to his face, only to notice that it was being held by something warm. This only further confused Aoshi. Speaking of things that are warm, Aoshi suddenly realized that an object that was warm and moving was lying very close to him. So, he finally resigned to the fact that it was morning and opened his eyes. And he saw the face of the last person in the world he expected to see lying next to him.  
  
Misao.  
  
Ok, so she wasn't the last person in the world he expected to see. In fact, Himura was the last person he expected to see. But it was still a close call.  
  
He should have wrenched his hand from Misao's and taken off running. But, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew that if any member of the Oniwaban entered the room to find him sleeping next to Misao, he'd be going to live with Hannya in the blink of an eye. The only thing was... being with Misao felt so, so right. He looked down and noticed Misao had a tight grip on his right hand, preventing him from moving it. He allowed himself a small smile and reached up with his left hand to stroke Misao's hair. This was his heaven.  
  
Nothing could possibly go wrong.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Okina had planned to talk to Aoshi before Misao woke. He scampered down the hall carefully, being sure not to wake anyone. Aoshi was always up at least two hours before any one else. It was the perfect opportunity to speak to him about Misao.  
  
He already knew basically what he was going to say too. He was going to tell Aoshi to leave Misao alone. That for her, it was nothing but a childhood infatuation. Nothing more. He should just let the matter drop.  
  
Okina cautiously slid open the shoji and was shocked. Aoshi wasn't there. But... if he wasn't in his room, then where the hell was he? Wait, he couldn't of... he wouldn't dare...  
  
Okina turned quickly on his heel and raced back down the hall to Misao's room and cracked open the door. No amount of ninja training could mask his surprised look. Aoshi was lying next to Misao in her futon and was playing with her hair with his left hand, while his right hand was intertwined with hers. And, perhaps the most surprising part of the scene was the fact that Aoshi looked completely at peace, not to mention he was smiling. The change was drastic; he now looked as though he were seventeen or eighteen instead of twenty six.  
  
Okina watched then for a few moments before closing the door once again. He could not bring himself to disturb the serenity that Aoshi had finally found in Misao after so much bloodshed. He would let them be if that was what made them happy.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Misao stirred slightly. The memories of last night suddenly hit her like a tidal wave.  
  
"Aishiteru anata. I don't know what I'd do with out you..."  
  
Aoshi. Aoshi had said that. Right before he had fallen asleep. Her cerulean eyes opened to be great by Aoshi's smiling gray ones. She spoke first.  
  
"You're still here."  
  
"Are you angry about that?"  
  
"No, just surprised. I thought you'd leave before Okina discovered you here."  
  
"Too late."  
  
"WHAT?!?"  
  
Aoshi shook his head slightly. "He said nothing."  
  
"I'm glad. He may be ok with this but-"  
  
"With what?"  
  
"Us."  
  
"Ahh. Continue."  
  
"The others are going to be upset."  
  
Aoshi sat up and pulled Misao into his lap. "We'll just have to take it one step at a time."  
  
Owari  
  
A/N: ::sighs:: I love sappy endings. I hope you like the end of this. To all my reviewers, YOU RULE MAAAAAN!!! If you're looking for other Aoshi/Misao stories, my advice is to check out some of Kitten Kisses' stories. They are super good. My favorite is "Flying Without Wings" (which is where I got the inspiration for this story btw. THANKS KITTEN KISSES!!!). It hasn't been updated in a while, because she's writing other stories at the same time (I can never do that. I've tried. Did NOT work.) so you can't blame her. But, it still is awesome and you should check it out. Until next time.  
  
Ja ne! 


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